Sometimes the most profound books are the shortest. While most authors believe that using verbose and loquaciousness wording to make their side more convincing, it doesn't. Ruiz uses the perfect word-length, he ensures you will not get bored, and you feel as if it is worth every minute of reading. Along with his brevity is his clarity. He gives many examples and real world uses for his four principles to follow in life. Ruiz is a student of the Toltec way of life. The Toltec people flourished before the Aztecs; it seems that my readings of history have highlighted that humans have become less inquisitive as a whole as time progresses. I feel in contemporary times, we have too many distractions, but if we could just escape these quasi-necessities we could restore our growth of mind exponentially with the myriad of resources at our disposable. Anyways, the four principles or agreements are basic. They are: be impeccable with your word, don't make assumptions, don't take anything personally, and try your best, always. These are ubiquitous truths through my eyes, but to implement them - it is rather hard However, I have promised myself to try to do so. There were a couple of ideas that resonated with me in particular; one is that we are always dreaming. If we are in a perpetual dream, then we can alter our life by changing our mindset about life. Everyone one of us is in our own paradigm, which gives us the power to not take anything personally because we are living in a different mindset. Most do not understand that by changing their mindset or world-view they could do a complete about-face for the better. The other concept that at first seemed counter-intuitive, but now it seems perfectly plausible is that we should love ourselves first. We should consciously treat ourselves like a king, with respect and dignity; there is no room for negative self-talk or to be critical. Always be positive because perspective is in direct correlation with the quality of your life. The last revolutionary concept is the attach-detach method. We must strive to live in the present and anything in the past, we detach from until we meet again or do again. This allows for us to have 100 percent concentration in the present, which is necessary for a great life. This book is a must read if you are human. Sometimes the most sagacious thoughts are the most simple. Reading similar concepts from the original “Four Agreements” book helped created a new light where I was able to focus more on breaking down the domestication of myself and see how I am able to transform my thoughts and beliefs to become empowered… Again, this book helped me to look at personal ownership of how I act and react to others around me.The focus was still on the key principles:Be impeccable with your word.Don’t take anything personally.Don’t make assumptions.Always do your best.

Reviews

ally19lez

Very repetitive, but overall exactly what I needed to remind myself of the importance of self love.

moby1982

Just reread this one. Great insights on life and how we can ourselves better. Recommended.

Bg123

This is a game changer. I think about it all the time to help with attitude adjustment.